Borage
The Chef’s Favorite. Edible star-shaped flowers beloved by pollinators.
JOY MAX QUALITIES:
Large plants bear hundreds of small, edible flowers with a mild cucumber flavor that is excellent in salads and as garnish. Harvest borage as it begins to flower. Dry flowers quickly under moderate heat with good air circulation.
Long harvest period. Medicinal: Seeds are a rich source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
It will always draw bees to your garden. They cannot stay away. Super cottage-core, so cute you won’t mind when it grows big and gangly. Just cut it down when it flops over. Another seedling has probably already sprung up to take its place.
As long as it has some drainage, it will grow in even poor soil. It’s also very drought-tolerant; it’s an almost worry-free plant.
Because borage leaves are rich in minerals and vitamins, they make nice mulch for almost any vegetable. Use the older, larger, fading leaves for this purpose. Borage plant material rots easily and so it is also a quick source of energy when used as green mulch or added to your compost bin.
Planting Information: Direct sow seeds when summer wanes or as soon as the soil has warmed in the spring. Plant 1/4-1/2” deep, 3 seeds per foot. Thin to 12” spacing for individual plants. You can transplant or move borage, but it’s not easy. They grow a long taproot so baby them with seaweed water until they recover.
